VoiceTra(Voice Translator)

VoiceTra is an innovative speech translation application designed to facilitate travel and communication across language barriers. This app, available for free download, supports an impressive 31 languages, making it an essential tool for travelers and those welcoming visitors to Japan.

Key Features:

VoiceTra leverages cutting-edge speech recognition, translation, and speech synthesis technologies developed by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). It transforms your spoken words into various languages and delivers the translated speech via synthesized voice. The app's user-friendly interface allows for instant switching of translation directions, enabling two people speaking different languages to communicate effectively using a single device. For languages without speech input support, text input is also available.

VoiceTra is particularly tailored for travel-related conversations, making it an ideal companion for scenarios such as:

• Transportation: Navigating buses, trains, renting cars, taking taxis, and managing airport and transit logistics.
• Shopping: Dining at restaurants, shopping, and handling payments.
• Hotel: Checking in and out, as well as cancellations.
• Sightseeing: Assisting with overseas travel and supporting foreign customers.

Additionally, VoiceTra has been highlighted for its utility in disaster prevention and response.

While the app can serve as a dictionary for individual word lookups, it is recommended to input full sentences for more accurate translations, as it better interprets the contextual meaning.

Supported Languages:

VoiceTra supports a wide array of languages including Japanese, English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Thai, French, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Spanish, Myanmar, Arabic, Italian, Ukrainian, Urdu, Dutch, Khmer, Sinhala, Danish, German, Turkish, Nepali, Hungarian, Hindi, Filipino, Polish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Malay, Mongolian, Lao, and Russian.

Restrictions and Considerations:

• An internet connection is necessary for the app to function.
• Translation results may be delayed depending on network connectivity.
• Text input is supported for languages where the OS keyboard is available.
• Proper display of characters requires the appropriate font to be installed on your device.
• The app and its features may be unavailable if the server is down.
• Users are responsible for communication fees, which may include high international data roaming charges.
• Developed for research purposes, VoiceTra uses servers set up for research, with recorded data used to enhance speech translation technologies.
• While testing for business purposes is permissible, continuous use should consider private services licensed by NICT.

For detailed information, please review the "Terms of Use" at voicetra.nict.go.jp/en/attention.html.

What's New in Version 9.0.4:

The latest update, released on August 20, 2024, now supports Android 14, ensuring compatibility with the latest operating system updates.